One Week of Inspiration: Paris, August 1969

Subsequent years have revealed shortcomings, but as Red Bull Music Academy’s Britt Robson points out, at least 12 classic Free Jazz LPs were recorded for one label in Paris between August 11 and 17 1969. Organized by the fledging BYG record cpmpany, numerous American avant-gardists then domiciled in Paris, were given free hands – and a bit of money – to plan and record their own dates, with many musicians playing on each other’s sessions. Robson runs down some of the ground-breaking records, including three headed by tenor saxophonist Archie Shepp, plus important statements by, among others, pianist Dave Burrell, bassist Alan Silva, drummer Sunny Murray and the Art Ensemble of Chicago, featuring saxophonists  Roscoe Mitchell and Joseph Jarman and trumpeter Lester Bowie. BYG however over-reached and definitely overspent itself, so that the label went bankrupt a couple of years afterwards. While a legacy of exceptional recordings remains, so do tales of unpaid royalties, unauthorized reissues and embittered musicians, especially Murray.